A joint meeting represented by the All Parties Hurriyet Conference, the forum led by Syed Ali Gilani and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front was held at historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar. Media reports said that the representatives expressed their concern over the killings in Sopore. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and advocate Shahid-ul-Islam represented the APHC, while Altaf Ahmad Shah and Meraj-ud-Din Kalwal attended the meeting on behalf of the forum and JKLF was represented by Noor Mohammad Kalwal, Mohammad Altaf Khan and Ajmal Khan.

“The joint meeting was unanimous to resist the Indian designs,” the reports added. The meeting later called for a complete shutdown in occupied Kashmir tomorrow and “Sopore Challo” on Friday. Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik will address a joint public meeting at Sopore after the Friday congregational prayers.

A statement issued by the forum quoting Syed Ali Gilani said that following consultations with Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik, senior Hurriyet leader Shabbir Ahmad Shah was also contacted for adopting joint strategy against the killing spree in Sopore.

Syed Ali Gilani in a statement terming the killings as genocide of Kashmiris said, “These killings have been started on the directions and under the patronage of Indian Home and Defence ministries. He expressed apprehensions that the authorities might arrest someone in coming days for face-saving and then declare him as responsible for these killings but it would only be a drama and an attempt to mislead the general masses. The veteran leader pointed out that Mufti Muhammad Sayeed was equal partner with Indian secret agencies in innocent killings.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in a statement said that Hurriyet leaders would not sit as mute spectators while innocent people were being killed. “Killing innocent people is not acceptable. The pro-freedom leadership has decided to work together to stop the killings,” he added.

Muhammad Yasin Malik said, “We will together protest against these target killings.” Yasin Malik along with other party leaders sat on a sit-in protest at main chowk in Sopore for more than two hours, a JKLF spokesman said.

The Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) at a meeting, which was presided by its Chairman, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, also decided to jointly observe shutdown in the Valley on Wednesday and march towards Sopore on Friday.